I can see why that is said. I do think dinan prices are too high. But the comfort of knowing that they work closely with BMW and warranty their products so well, for some, is worth it. I think there is also a huge "prestige" factor that plays into that price. Everyone, even non bimmer fanatics know Dinan. I am looking for a good exhaust, have heard the Dinan in person and it sounds good. Want to hear more options in person, but may just pull the trigger on the Dinan soon.

It's more of an insider joke for people here coz people perceive that, with Dinan, you pay twice the price and gets half the product.

Maybe you're right. But I see it as twice better warranty.
I know Dinan doesn't get the most performance out of their parts so does actual factory OEM parts. I see it as more conservative/reliable parts since they are "actually" responsible for the all parts/labor/shipping warranty for 4 yrs/50k miles while others only have to cover (generally speaking) 1 year for the parts.

I have & had Dinan products on almost all my BMWs. I am very happy with the quality, RELIABILITY and performance increases seen on each of the vehicles. Would I purchase Dinan again, yes & no...it all depends on your situation & what you are truely looking for.

As for the exhaust, Dinan did similar with the E46 M3 exhaust, though they had one whole side a blank instead of the outside tips on the E9x M3. Dinan's exhaust system is exactly what they advertise...the exhaust is a "Free Flow" system that is designed to maximize exhaust flow and anyone with any common sense will know that is in a single line, without adding "forks" in the system like everyone else. So those who bitch because the outer tips aren't used are just Dinan haters. The exhaust on BOTH E46 M3s I had sounded incredible & performed!

As for the OP's inquiries of the new Dinan S3-R system...here are my opinions:

1. When looking for an exhaust, don't listen to anyone's biases & choose for yourself. You know what you are looking for, eg. Warranty issue, HP gains (if that's very important), sound, etc. For myself, I went with the Eisenmann Sport exhaust on my E90 M3...why, because I wasn't caring about added weight it has over stock, or minimal gains it has. My biggest reason was for the exhaust sound & noise level (lower sound level than most exhausts) since my 20 month old daughter rides in it all the time & it's my family car.

Personally, if I was to get an exhaust for the E9x M3 truely based on performance and weight savings, I would have gone RPI Race Exhaust...but it is VERY loud!

2. I actually take exception to Dinan calling the new E9x Dinan system the S3-R! I had the E46 Dinan S3-R system & it to me noted the "Stage 3" Dinan system which is going Forced Induction & the "R" was for the "Intercooled" version. If I was Dinan I would have called the system something like the S3S for it being a "Stroked Engine" & keeping the S3 because it would still be the "Stage 3" system when it came to suspension & other upgrades typical to all the other Dinan kits.

3. Sorry, forgot to add, that NONE of the Dinan products I ave or had has had any reliability issues & has never had to be fixed or replaced other than very minor "install" leaks that were corrected.

When I bought my used E90 M3, I knew it had a Dinan exhaust, but didnt know much about it. It sounded good while idling, and sounded even better under acceleration. After two months I still had no idea that it had fake exhausts for cosmetic purposes. In fact, after i read about it I had to get down on the ground and really look hard to notice it. To this day I still forget about it until i read posts like this. I have no problem with the fake tips, don't really notice them.

lmao at all the people who bitch about the fake tips. they are there for a reason not just bc Dinan wants to piss people off. i will take the fake tips and no drone and a amazing sounding muffler any day over a droning sounding one with real tips

i don't stand outside and care if smoke comes out of all my tips, and i def don't care if some fast and furious kid is saying man he has smoke only coming out of 2 tips. but i guess that is important to some people. lmao

I know this engine is pricey but given the right circumstances, it could work out for the owners favor... case and point, my car was in a very minor accident with only 7k on the clock, somehow metal shavings got into my engine and now it has to be replaced. So, I am in the process of replacing my stock S65 with the Dinan 4.6L S65. The Dinan motor (minus the core) actually comes out to be 1k cheaper then then putting a brand new stock S65 in the car. The insurance company is paying for the new engine, installation, labor, everything!